Calendar of Events
Saturday, November 14, 2009
"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee": Dynamic Stage Productions.
Nov. 12-15. This area theater company presents William Finn's Tony-winning musical comedy about 6 teenage outsiders who vie for the county spelling bee championship. Most performances involve audience volunteers who join in the spelling bee on stage.
Riverside Arts Center, 76 N. Huron, Ypsilanti. Tickets $15 at dynamicstageproductions.com and at the door. 480-2787.
23rd Annual Saline Craft Show: Saline Community Education.
More than 230 vendors. Concessions, bake sale, and raffle.
Saline Middle School, 7190 N. Maple Rd., Saline. $3 admission. 429-5922.
Restoration Workday: Stewards of Shanghai Prairie.
All invited to help remove invasive shrubs from this prairie remnant near the St. Joe's hospital grounds. Snacks. Wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. Bring loppers and small saws if you have them.
St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, meet at the picnic area parking lot behind the hospital on the north side of McAuley Dr. across from the staff parking lot. Preregistration requested by emailing aunitafl@umich.edu or calling 668-6354.
Ecosystem Restoration Workday: U-M Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum.
Nov. 14 & 21. All invited to help Matthaei staff members remove invasive plants. Dress for outdoor work. Snacks and tools provided, or bring your own.
meet at the Arb Reader Center (Nov. 14), 1610 Washington Hts. & Matthaei (Nov. 21), 1800 N. Dixboro Rd. Free. Registration requested. 647-7600.
Chili Open: Ann Arbor Parks & Recreation.
Both players hit every shot from the spot of the best ball of their twosome. Open to all golfers; no handicaps. Rain or shine.
Leslie Park Golf Course, 2120 Traver Rd. $60 per person (includes greens fee, continental breakfast, chili & chili dog lunch, & prizes). Preregistration required. 794-6245.
"Crooked Lake Trail Hike": Huron Valley Sierra Club.
All invited to join club members on a hike of 6-7 miles. Wear hiking books and bring water and snacks.
meeting location TBA. Free. 756-5362.
Fall Chore Day: Neighborhood Senior Services.
Volunteers needed to devote 2-4 hours to work in groups of 2-7 people to assist with assorted chores for frail and homebound elderly people in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, from checking smoke alarms and washing windows to putting up storm windows to raking and cleaning yards. The chores are offered free, but seniors who use the service are asked to help defray some of the costs if they can afford to. Bring rakes and work gloves; some equipment available. Rain date: Nov. 15.
St. Joseph's Hospital Senior Health Bldg., 5361 McAuley Dr. (off Huron River Dr.). Free. Preregistration required. To volunteer or request this service, go to nssweb.org or call 712-7259.
"Dexter Breakfast Ride": Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society.
Every Sat. Beginner-friendly slow-paced (22 miles) and moderate/fast-paced (30-80 miles) round-trip rides to the Dexter Bakery. A very popular ride. Also on Sat.: "Sunrise Saturday Ride" (sunrise, Wheeler Park), a very slow-paced 22-mile ride (662-0205, 971-9201) to Dexter for breakfast and back. Note: Riders should be prepared to take care of themselves on all AABTS rides. Carry a water bottle, a spare tire or tube, a pump, a cell phone, and snacks.
meet at Wheeler Park, N. Fourth Ave. at Depot St., or at Barton Park, Huron River Dr. Free. For information, call 996-9461 (Nov. 7 ride), 761-5959 (Nov. 14), 426-5116 (Nov. 21), 996-4985 (Nov. 28).
"Recycled Bird Feeder": Ann Arbor Solid Waste Department.
Bring an empty plastic pop bottle or milk carton to make a winter bird feeder. Starter seed provided. Followed by guided tours of the city's recycling and trash disposal center.
Materials Recovery Facility, 4120 Platt Rd. Free. 994-2807.
Kids Crafts: U-M Matthaei Botanical Gardens.
Nov. 14 & 21 (different programs). For kids ages 6-12. Today: apple tasting and a chance to make a dried apple-cranberry garland to take home and hang outdoors for the birds.
Matthaei, 1800 N. Dixboro Rd. $5 materials fee. Preregistration required. 647-7600.
Annual Holiday Sale: Ann Arbor Fiberarts Guild.
Matthaei Botanical Gardens, 1800 N. Dixboro Rd. Free admission. 996-8601.
"Sciencepalooza: We've Got Chemistry": Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum.
Family-friendly science demos and hands-on activities. a "Sciencepalooza: We've Got Chemistry."
Hands-On Museum, 220 E. Ann. $9 regular admission (members & infants, free). 995-5439.
20th Annual Gaming Convention: UCon.
Nov. 13-15. 400-600 competitors are expected to turn out to play a wide spectrum of tabletop games, from board games of all kinds (including European family-oriented board games) and role-playing games (including some RPGA-sanctioned events) to collectible card games and miniaturized simulations of historical and fictional battlefields. A "Kid UCon" area features a variety of games and activities for kids. Participants also are invited to bring in games to play in an open gaming area. Representatives of game design companies are on hand to discuss and demonstrate their games. Also, a dealers' room with sale and demos of games. Registration begins tonight at 5 p.m. Note: People not affiliated with the U-M must arrive before 9 p.m.
various Michigan Union locations. Weekend pass $20 in advance, $25 at the door; $10 (Fri.) & $15 (Sat. & Sun.) daily admission at the door only. Also, $3 to play most games. Advance registration available on-line at ucon-gaming.org and by mail to UCon Gaming Convention, P.O. Box 4491, Ann Arbor 48106-4491. 930-6363.
"Saturday Morning Physics": U-M Physics Department
Nov. 7, 14, & 21. Popular series of talks, aimed at general audiences, by U-M faculty and visiting scholars. Today: U-M physics professor Jim Allen on "The Science of Music.î
170 Dennison, 500 Church. Free. 764-4437.
Storytime: Nicola's Books.
Every Sat. Storytelling program for kids age 7 & under.
Nicola's, Westgate shopping center. Free. 662-0600.
2nd Annual Health and Wellness Fair: Ann Arbor Jaycees.
Health and fitness exhibits, a sale of health-related items, and a talk (1 p.m.), by WXYZ-TV (channel 7) health and fitness expert Peter Neilsen.
WCC Morris Lawrence Bldg., 4800 E. Huron River Dr. $2 (kids age 5 & under, free). 913-9629.
Gaming Tournaments: Ann Arbor District Library.
Nov. 13-15. Video game tournaments. Today: Super Smash Brothers and Mario Kart Championship Series Round 1 for kids in grades 6-12
AADL multipurpose room, 343 S. Fifth Ave. Free. 327-8301.
Draw Doubles: Local 101 Disc Golf Club.
Every Sat. All invited to play disc golf at one of Hudson Mills Metropark's 24-hole courses. Beginners are paired with advanced players to create parity. Prizes. Golf discs available free.
Hudson Mills Metropark Activity Center, 8801 North Territorial Rd. (between Dexter-Pinckney Rd. & Huron River Dr.), Dexter. $5 per player; free for spectators. $4 vehicle entrance fee. 449-4300.
U-M Exhibit Museum Planetarium.
Every Sat. & Sun. and Nov. 27. Three different audiovisual planetarium shows. The Sky Tonight (1:30 & 3:30 p.m., plus 11:30 a.m. Sat. and Nov. 27 only) explores the current night sky. Stars of the Pharoahs (12:30 p.m. Sat. only) explores the use of science in ancient Egypt to tell time, make a workable calendar, and align huge buildings. Two Small Pieces of Glass: The Amazing Telescope (2:30 p.m. Sat., Sun., & Nov. 27) explores how telescopes work and what they can do
U-M Exhibit Museum, 1109 Geddes at North University. $4.75. 764-0478.
"2nd Annual Lights Out Invitational": A-Square Fight Club.
Nov. 13-15. Tournament featuring top amateur boxers from the U.S. and Canada in various age divisions, from bantams (ages 9 & 10) to adult (age 17 & over).
138 Jackson Plaza (off eastbound Jackson just west of Wagner). $10. 585-8823.
"GPS Geocaching": Leslie Science and Nature Center.
Participants in this family-oriented program take a ramble through fields and woods using a global positioning system and their problem-solving skills to find several hidden treasures. Bring your own GPS or use one of Leslie's.
LSNC, 1831 Traver Rd. $8 (family, $30). 997-1553.
"The New UMMA": U-M Museum of Art.
Every Sat. & Sun. beginning Nov. 7. Docent-led tours of the recently renovated museum.
UMMA, 525 S. State. Free. 764-0395.
Barrie Summy: Aunt Agatha's.
This Canadian-bred California writer discusses I So Don't Do Mysteries, her debut young adult mystery about a 7th grader who is contacted by the ghost of her mother, who has flunked out of an afterlife police academy and needs her daughter's help to make things right. Signing.
Aunt Agatha's, 213 S. Fourth Ave. Free. 769-1114.
"So You Want to Buy a Telescope?": U-M Exhibit Museum.
Exhibit Museum staff are joined by members of the University Lowbrow Astronomers for a program on telescope basics, the pros and cons of different kinds of telescopes, and telescope accessories.
2009 Ruthven Museums, 1109 North University at Geddes Ave. Free. Preregistration required. 764-0478.
"The Image Wrought: Historical Photographic Approaches in the Digital Age": U-M Museum of Art.
Nov. 14 & 28. Docent-led tours of the current exhibit.
UMMA, 525 S. State. Free. 764-0395.
"Representing Native Americans": Ann Arbor District Library/U-M Native American Studies.
Talks by MSU American culture professor Patrick LeBeau, author of Rethinking Michigan Indian History, and Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History curator Rayna Green.
AADL meeting room (4th floor), 343 S. Fifth Ave. Free. 327-4555, 763-1460.
Dinosaur Tours: U-M Exhibit Museum.
Every Sat. & Sun. 30-minute docent-led tour of the museum's dinosaur exhibits.
U-M Exhibit Museum, 1109 Geddes at North University. Free, but limited to the first 15 people to sign up for each tour. 764-0478.
Warhammer/Warmachine Open Play: Get Your Game On.
Every Sat. All invited to play these 2 tactical miniatures board games.
Get Your Game On, 709 Packard. Free. 786-3746.
Ann Arbor Juggling Arts Club.
Every Sat. All invited to practice their juggling skills. Beginners welcome. Indoor location TBA in case of inclement weather.
U-M Diag. Free. 761-1115.
Waterloo Recreation Area.
Nov. 7, 14, & 21. Programs presented by WRA park interpreter Kathy Kavanaugh unless otherwise noted. Today: "Comets: Icy Visitors from Afar," a chance to make your own miniature comet.
Eddy Discovery Center, Bush Rd. (west from Pierce Rd. off I-94 exit 157), Waterloo Recreation Area. Preregistration requested. Free. $6 vehicle entry fee. 475-3170.
"Escanaba": Purple Rose Theatre Company.
Every Wed.-Sun. (except Nov. 26) Sept. 17-Dec. 19. See review. Guy Sanville directs the world premiere of Jeff Daniels' comedy, the third in his deer-hunting Yooper trilogy that includes the hugely successful Escanaba in da Moonlight and Escanaba in Love. This installment reveals the origins of some of the Soady family's time-honored deer camp traditions. Stars Julian Gant, Wayne David Parker, and Tom Whalen.
Purple Rose, 137 Park St., Chelsea. $25 (Sun. eves., Wed. & Thurs.), $33 (Sat. & Sun. matinees), & $38 (Fri. & Sat. eves.) in advance and at the door. 433-7673.
"Saturday Social Dance": Grand Traditions Vintage Dance Academy.
A variety of vintage dances to recorded music. No partner necessary.
Pittsfield Grange, 3337 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd. (just south of Oak Valley Dr.). $5. 213-0537.
University Lowbrow Astronomers.
Nov. 14 & 21. A chance to join local astronomy buffs for a look at the sky through instruments, including the Peach Mountain Observatory's huge, 24-inch McMath telescope. Participants encouraged to bring their own telescopes. Visitors must turn off all electronic equipment (car radios, transmitters, phones, etc.) at the observatory entrance. Program canceled if sky is overcast at sunset or if the weather is extremely inclement.
or as long as the sky remains clear, Peach Mountain Observatory, North Territorial Rd. (about 11/4 miles west of Hudson Mills Metropark), Dexter. Free. 332-9132.
Board Game Night: Get Your Game On.
Every Thurs. & Sat., except Nov. 26. All invited to bring a favorite board game or play one of the store's.
Get Your Game On, 709 Packard. Free. 786-3746.
Team USA Under-18 vs. Green Bay Ramblers.
The Ann Arbor-based USA Hockey national development team plays this U.S. Hockey League rival.
Ann Arbor Ice Cube, 2121 Oak Valley Dr. at Scio Church Rd. $12 (seniors, students, & children, $6; kids under 5, free). 327-9251.
U-M Men's Basketball vs. NMU.
Crisler Arena. $15 & $22. 764-0247.
"All about Owls": Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission.
WCPARC naturalist Faye Stoner gives a slide-illustrated talk, followed by a hike to try calling owls.
Independence Lake County Park Beach Center, 3200 Jennings (north off North Territorial), Webster Twp. Free. $5 vehicle entry fee. 971-6337.
Signe Karlstrom Festival of Nordic Arts 2009: U-M Scandinavian Studies/Residential College Players.
Nov. 13-15 (different locations). Three days of music, theater, and dance from Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland. Tonight: "Nordic Romance." Violinist Paul Lundin, pianist Angelina Pashmakova, and cellist Katri Ervamaa perform Finnish and Norwegian chamber music from the National Romantic era, including Grieg's Sonata for Violin and Piano in F Major, Sibelius's Violin Pieces, and Leevi Madetoja's Piano Trio. Also, at 10 a.m. & noon, "Magic Carpet: Nordic Weave" ($15 per family), a program of Nordic music for families with kids age 2 & over.
Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N. Fourth Ave. $10 & $20 (students, $5) includes an afterglow with Scandinavian foods. 276-4906.
"All Childish Things, Episodes I-III": EMU Theater Department.
Nov. 13-15. Shannon Ferrante directs a staged reading of local playwright Joseph Zettelmaier's 2009 New American Play Award-winning trilogy of drama about 3 lifelong friends, linked by a mutual obsession with Star Wars, who are still struggling with the nature and meaning of adulthood as they enter middle age. Each night is a different play in the trilogy. Adult language.
Sponberg Theater, Ford St. (off Lowell from Huron River Dr.), EMU campus, Ypsilanti. Tickets $7 in advance and at the door. 487-1221.
"Frozen": U-M Basement Arts.
Nov. 12-14. Rebecca Spooner directs U-M students in Bryony Lavery's drama about a meeting between a psychiatrist, a serial killer, and the mother of a child he murdered 25 years earlier. Lavery "knows how to light up the darkest places without trivializing or undermining her subject," says a Guardian review.
Walgreen Drama Center Studio One, 1226 Murfin, North Campus. Free. basement.studentorgs.umich.edu
U-M Women's Volleyball vs. Indiana.
Cliff Keen Varsity Arena, S. State at Hoover. $5 (age 17 & under, $3). 763-2159.
"Annie Get Your Gun": Skyline High School.
Nov. 13-15, 20, & 21. Anne-Marie Roberts directs Skyline students in the popular Irving Berlin musical, a fictionalization of the life of sharpshooter Annie Oakley, a country girl and crack shot who joins the traveling Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and falls in love with a fellow entertainer who's intimidated by her superior shooting skills. Berlin's score is one of his finest and includes "There`s No Business like Show Business," "You Can't Get a Man with a Gun," and the humorous competitive duet "Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)."
Skyline High School, 2552 N. Maple. Tickets $8 (students, $6) in advance at showtix4u.com and at the door. 994-6515.
"The Man Who Came to Dinner": Huron High School Players.
Nov. 13, 14, 20, & 21. Huron High School students present George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart's enduring 1939 comedy about an egomaniacal celebrity who moves in with a Midwestern family after he falls and breaks his leg on their doorstep. His oversize personality and the ensuing publicity as he prolongs his stay end up upsetting not only the household, but the entire town.
Huron High School New Theater, 2727 Fuller Rd. Tickets $8 (students & seniors, $6) in advance and at the door. 994-2095.
"Oklahoma!": Pioneer High School Theatre Guild.
Nov. 7 & 8 and 13-15. U-M theater student Mary-Michael Patterson directs Pioneer High School students in the landmark Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, a sentimental love story set in the Oklahoma Territory on the eve of statehood. The show's many well-known songs include "I Cain't Say No," "People Will Say We're in Love," "Surrey with the Fringe on Top," and the rousing title chorus.
Pioneer High School Schreiber Auditorium, 601 W. Stadium at Main. Tickets $12 (seniors age 65 & over and students, $9) in advance at Morgan & York (1928 Packard) and at the door. 994-2191.
Spencer Baily & Friends: First United Methodist Church Wesley Foundation.
Folk-rock standards and originals by this ad-hoc local ensemble led by singer-songwriter Baily. Proceeds benefit the local homeless shelter for families, Alpha House.
FUMC, 120 S. State. Donation. 662-4536.
"Yarns: Stories That Weave the Web of Life": Ann Arbor Storytellers Guild.
Nov. 14 & 15 (different locations). Area storytellers present a storytelling program, interwoven with Celtic harp music for adults & youth age 14 & over (today) and for families with kids age 4 & over (Nov. 15).
Genesis of Ann Arbor (Temple Beth Emeth/St. Clare's Episcopal Church), 2309 Packard at Eastover. $10 (Nov. 14) at the door only, free (Nov. 15). 665-4312.
Women's Glee Club: U-M School of Music.
Julie Skadsem directs this ensemble of nonmusic majors in David MacIntyre's Ave Maria, Gwyneth Walker's setting of Tennyson's "Crossing the Bar," Victor Paranjoti's "Dravidian Dithyramb," and more. The choir is joined by the Brownell Middle School (Grosse Pointe) choir in Elizabeth Alexander's "If You Can Walk You Can Dance." Also, Carolyn Gross directs the Brownell choir in a program TBA.
U-M Walgreen Drama Center Stamps Auditorium, 1226 Murfin, North Campus. Tickets $15 (students with ID, $5) in advance at wgctickets@umich.edu and at the door. 764-0594.
Bobby Tessel: Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase.
Nov. 12-14. Local debut of this West Coast comic whose act features a steady barrage of off-the-wall jokes about ordinary life delivered in a laid-back style. Preceded by 2 opening acts. Alcohol is served; all Fri. & Sat. early shows are nonsmoking.
314 E. Liberty (below Seva restaurant). $7 (Thurs.) & $10 (Fri. & Sat.) reserved seating in advance, $9 (Thurs.) & $12 (Fri. & Sat.) general admission at the door. 996-9080.
"The Marriage of Figaro": U-M Opera Theatre.
Nov. 12-15. Robert Swedberg directs U-M opera students in Mozart's popular opera buffa noted for its stirring, lovely melodies. Bored by his wife, Count Almaviva eyes her maid Susanna, who is engaged to his valet Figaro. When the count decides to exercise his feudal rights, Figaro, Susanna, and others are thrown into frenzied attempts to thwart his lecherous scheme. Italian, supertitles. Kenneth Kiesler conducts the University Symphony Orchestra.
Power Center. $18 & $24 (students, $9) in advance at the Michigan League Ticket Office and at the door. 764-2538.
"Brahms & Friends": Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra.
AASO music director Arie Lipsky conducts the orchestra in Prokofiev's Overture on Hebrew Themes, Bizet's Symphony no. 1 in C Major, and Brahms' Piano Concerto no. 2 with piano soloist Anton Nel.
Michigan Theater. Tickets $6-$49 (discounts for students & seniors) in advance at the AASO office (220 E. Huron, suite 470), at a2so.com, and at the door. 994-4801.
"The Solo Guitar of Ken Aldcroft": Canterbury House.
Toronto guitarist Aldcroft plays a mix of electric blues, modern jazz, and Derek Bailey-inspired improvisation. Opening act is the local improvised jazz duo of violinist Mike Khoury and percussionist Ben Hall.
Canterbury House, 721 E. Huron. $10 (students, $5). 761-3162.
John Latini: Interfaith Center for Spiritual Growth Cafe 704 Coffeehouse.
Acoustic rock-based originals by this popular veteran local rock 'n' roll singer-songwriter, winner of the 2008 Detroit Blues Challenge.
Interfaith Center for Spiritual Growth, 704 Airport Blvd. $8 (couples, $15) suggested donation. 327-0270.
2nd Saturday Contra Dance.
Don Theyken calls to music by the Sharon Hollow String Band. No partner needed. Beginners welcome.
Webster Community Hall, 5665 Webster Church Rd. between Joy and North Territorial, Dexter. $8. 996-8359.
Yasmin Levy: University Musical Society.
This up-and-coming Israeli singer-songwriter has been called "the next world music superstar." Her songs mix influences from Ladino and flamenco to Middle Eastern and other Mediterranean idioms. An fRoots review of her 2007 album Mano Suave calls it "a deep pool of exquisite yearning and heartbreak."
Hill Auditorium. Tickets $10-$40 in advance at the Michigan League Box Office and ums.org, and (if available) at the door. To charge by phone, call 764-2538 or (800) 221-1229.
Ballroom Dancing Night: Pittsfield Township Parks and Recreation Department.
Ballroom dancing to recorded music from the last several decades. Singles and couples invited. Refreshments. Preceded at 7 p.m. by a lesson.
Pittsfield Twp. Recreation Hall, S. State at Ellsworth. $5. 822-2120.
